No, it’s not a beehive, but in terms of sustainable building, it is pretty sweet. This hexagonal beauty is KREOD, a wonder of eco-friendly organic architecture. The sustainable pavilion was designed by Chun Qing Li, the managing director of Pavilion Architecture.

Inspired by nature to coincide harmoniously with nature, the structure is comprised of three rearrangeable “seed pod” pavilions formed by a double curved wooden frame of open interlocking hexagons and a waterproof tensile membrane.

The wood frame is made from Kebony, a term used to describe soft woods made more durable by a process similar to pressure treating wood. Kebonization infuses sustainable soft woods prone to rot with furfuryl alcohol, a byproduct of sugar cane. This alcohol (which, unlike copper based chemicals often used in wood treating, is nontoxic) forms a resin that reinforces the cell walls of the softwood so that it can sustain exposure to the elements and be used outdoors; it can be applied to woods such as maple or pine. The result is a product that is stronger and infinitely more sustainable than rainforest hardwoods like teak, which are often coveted for outdoor applications, but the harvesting process of which involves the ripping up of large tracts of tropical rainforest.

I don’t mean to gush, but give me a moment to summarily laud the virtues of KREOD. Firstly, it’s waterproof and weatherproof, made out of cutting edge sustainable Kebony, whose durability actually makes it a cost-effective alternative to treated woods. Second, it’s interlocking hexagonal structure makes it easy to disassemble, stack, transport, and reassemble in any number of unique configuration. And finally… man it looks cool.

KREOD is normally at home in Greenwich Pavilion in London, but this March it will form the media and visitor center of Ecobuild, a huge annual event on sustainable design and construction in London. Next stop on its tour? My backyard! Or yours?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The humble television is one of the most commonly-purchased electronic devices – in fact in the United States alone, there are 219,000,000 television sets – a number that continues to increase daily. It is also a domestic appliance that consumes a large amount of energy. This has made electronics manufacturers eager to produce, and consumer eager to purchase, televisions that are more environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient.

If you are shopping for a more environmentally-friendly TV, the first thing you should look at is its lumen output. Make sure you choose a television model that has the most lumens at the lowest wattage to maximize your energy use. Secondly, make sure you choose the right type of television set. Studies have shown that plasma TVs use the most energy, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are more energy-efficient in comparison. You should also consider the size of your television set. People nowadays are obsessed with having huge TVs, though they often forget the fact that the bigger the screen, the more energy it consumes. Something consumers should always do after purchasing a television set is to make sure it is properly tuned, checking the picture and factory settings can save a considerable amount of energy. Lastly, always look for the Energy Star seal. TV models which are awarded with this seal consume 30-65 percent less energy compared to their counterparts.

As far as manufacturers go, companies such as Samsung, Panasonic and Fujitsu are said to produce the most environmentally-friendly television sets. In their respective ranges, the Samsung series7 range of LED TVs, the Panasonic VIERA and the Fujitsu L and SL televisions come out on top when compared with their other models. If you’re still unsure of which is the best energy-efficient television to buy, visit the CNET ratings page which can help you find a television set that’s a friendlier to both your wallet and mother earth.